Monday, November 12, 2012

Discovery Cove

This sloth was there to greet us when we arrived at Discovery Cove. They also took a complimentary family photo that I still need to scan in. We didn't plan on pictures and thought we'd be going right into the water so no one's hair was fixed up for it.

After we got suited up, we went to join the line for breakfast. Breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks were provided at no extra cost.

This is the Grand Reef. It's salt water and it was really cold! That's probably why we got such reduced rates for this time of year.

We all ended up trading in our wet suits for vests at some time during the day. I traded in right away because I didn't have enough arm movement in the wet suit. I had the biggest one they had at the time. The bigger ones were all given out by time I went to trade out so I got a vest instead. Jessica got a vest because the wet suit made her too bouyant and she couldn't dive to the bottom.

There were all kinds of colorful fish along with sting rays. You could swim right up to the sting rays and pet them.

The lazy river was a lot warmer. It was up to 8 feet deep in spots.

Jasmine

Jessica 8 feet down.

Me 8 feet down. It was easier to dive in the river than the reef because the river is fresh water and the reef is salt water.

Lunch. Many choices. And you could go back repeatedly between 11&3:00.

Talapia and jambalya.

Entertainment at lunch.

Jasmine had really bad stomach pains this whole trip. They started on our last trip, the first week of October and she's had them off and on since. She didn't eat the whole day which was sad since there were so many choices. But if she even took a bite, she immediately had pain and nausea. I need to set an appointment for her but her pediatrician left and the new one is not so great. And figuring out stomach pains can be difficult anyway.

I gave out earlier than the others, so I showered out and read for the last hour while they went back to swim by the otters.

I hope to go back again (during a cheap season--it gets increasingly expensive as it warms up in the spring) and take the twins. They need better listening skills and more control around food before this trip. Stronger swimming skills would be a plus too. We did not pay the extra to swim with the dolphins and the kids were fine with that. When they saw other groups swimming with the dolphins they realized it wouldn't have been worth $100 a person. You don't get the dolphin to yourself. You go in as a whole group.

It was a really cool day with lots of share experiences--and of course some sibling squabbles or it wouldn't be real life!